Father's Day Weekend 2010

This weekend Mike went to Michigan for a golf trip so the girls and I headed to Lafayette to visit with my parents and grandma on Saturday... we went to the pool while we were there and my mom's cousin Therese was in town visiting my grandma, too. Therese was nice enough to bring my purse (which I had left at my grandma's) to the pool and joined us for dinner. We had a great time visiting and eating outside on the patio at the pool!
On Sunday Mike came home and we opened his father's day gifts then "attempted" to take pictures at a park near our house. Whitney does NOT like to be hot (this is an UNDERSTATEMENT!!!) so we did not get many smiles (if any) out of her during our little "photo shoot". We then went to Mike's parents to hang out for the afternoon and have dinner together. It was a great weekend and the girls were very good while their daddy was out of town! Here are some pics from the weekend (they are in reverse order... oops!)

Papi's IU golf shirt

smiling because of the airconditioning in the car

enough of this!!! please get me out of this heat!!!

Whitney is getting "close" to standing on her own (doesn't she look thrilled?!)

jellies :)

why are you sticking me on this grass in this heat???!!!

make a "funny face" and say "cheese"!

GG, Therese & Whitney

Jimmy's IU golf shirt

Wordless Wednesday

Straw #8!!!

Whitney has made it to the 8th and final straw in the Talk Tools straw hierarchy! YEAH! We started using this straw with her about 3 or 4 weeks ago, and I have been meaning to write a post and show some pictures but life (aka hail damage repair and lots of painting inside and out) has gotten in the way :)

Whitney's speech therapist asked if she could have a copy of my pictures + if I would sign a copyright release for her to use the pictures because she has not had someone as young as Whitney ever make it to straw # 8 (excuse me while I brag, just a little - isn't that what moms are supposed to do???)

Whitney is supposed to build up to being able to take 20 consecutive (in one eating/drinking session... not all right in a row) sips from the straw without fatiguing too much. She is doing well - but we still have some work to do.

Here are some pics of straw #8:


As a frame of reference, this is straw #7

Straw #8 (put together)

Straw #8 (in three pieces)

Whitney up to the challenge

I can do this!

500 Festival Parade

We had a GREAT time at the 500 Festival Parade on Saturday. It was BLAZING hot, but we still had fun (although I think Whitney would care to argue that... she is not a fan of being too hot!) Here are some pics from the parade... we had front row seats in the tv box section thanks to one of my friends who used to be an accountant for the 500 Festival! Thanks Leah!

(the picture order is from the bottom - start of the parade- to the top-end of the parade... they did not load in the correct order)

the winner - dario franchitti & his wife ashley judd

it is a little too loud!

mrs. brady

our favorite part of the parade... for some reason these guys were really a funny "attraction" in the parade! THE FRED HILL Briefcase Drill Team

Strawberry Shortcake... anne was really excited about this!

this is dedicated to uncle tim and aunt jill living in germany!

500 festival princess and queen

The Butler University basketball team: the Grand Marshall's of the parade

"Under the Sea" - this was the BEST and most creative float!

Whitney was NOT happy about posing for a picture nor sitting at a HOT parade!

Cheer for Graham Rahal at the Indy 500

Graham Rahal of Rahal-Letterman racing has agreed to put the Down Syndrome Indiana logo on his car for the race tomorrow and the Bobby Rahal Foundation is going to make a donation to Down Syndrome Indiana for every lap Graham completes in the race tomorrow. To see pictures and read about the #30 car for tomorrow's race, click here.

Also... we went to the 500 Festival Parade today... I am hoping to post pictures from our day hopefully on Monday. Hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!!!

more prayers/positive thoughts please

another one of our blog friends, Presley (She is just about Whitney's age) lives in Texas and is in the hospital right now. She has pneumonia and is having trouble keeping her blood pressure and oxygen saturation levels where they should be/need to be! Please, if you could, take a couple of minutes and send some positive thoughts/prayers her way!!!

ABC program: What Would You Do?

I was putting away my Costco purchases tonight and had the tv on. A program on ABC caught my attention and my reaction caught me off guard. The program was "What Would You Do?". It brought me to tears to see the actors treating the clerk with Down syndrome like this, even though I knew they were acting! It just makes me sick to my stomach to see this kind of thing happen and to think that even though in this situation it was acting that there are times when actual people treat other people like this! Check out this link:

http://abcnews.go.com/WhatWouldYouDo/syndrome-grocery-clerk-scenario/story?id=10648284

Prayers for Ella Grace

I just found out this weekend that a little girl who is about 5 months older than Whitney has been diagnosed with leukemia. We have been following her blog and have enjoyed getting to know this little monkey! She reminds me a lot of Whitney, a mind of her own and a super sweet smile!

She was admitted to the hospital this weekend and has already started chemo. I am asking for all of your thoughts and prayers for little Ella Grace and her family!!!! THANK YOU!!!